News24 | Cape Town residents warned of wet and windy conditions as cold front approaches

Authorities are on high alert as Cape Town and surrounding areas brace for a cold front that could bring heavy rain and near-gale force winds. (Carl & Ann Purcell/Getty Images)

Authorities are on high alert following a warning of heavy rain and strong winds in Cape Town and surrounding areas.

The South African Weather Service warned of a cold front on Wednesday that could result in heavy rain and showers over the Cape Town, Swartland, Stellenbosch, Drakenstein and Overberg municipalities.

Accumulated rainfall of between 40 and 50 mm is expected.

The heavy rain could also result in flooding in informal settlements and low-lying areas. There is also a risk of motor vehicle accidents due to wet roads and reduced visibility.

Near-gale winds of between 40 and 60km/h are also expected between Saldanha Bay and Plettenberg Bay, according to the weather service.

Wave heights of between 3.5 and 4 metres are expected. This may affect navigation at sea and cause localised disruptions at small harbours and ports.

According to the City of Cape Town, strong winds and heavy showers often lead to damaged infrastructure, resulting in many electricity service requests.

"In instances of heavy rain and strong winds, our teams can only attend to the damaged infrastructure once it is safe to do so. We urge residents to only use one reporting channel when reporting any faults to us so that duplicate service requests are avoided," the City said in a statement.

It urged residents to check if trees and vegetation on their properties could put power supply at risk.

"But leave tree-trimming near all electricity infrastructure to professionals... This is dangerous work and should be done by professionals only," it warned.